wild wales-第58节

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however；　provided　me　a　bed　at　a　place　which　they　called　the　
cottage；　on　the　side　of　a　hill　in　the　outskirts　of　the　town。　　There　
I　passed　the　night　comfortably　enough。　　At　about　eight　in　the　
morning　I　arose；　returned　to　the　inn；　breakfasted；　and　departed　for　
Beth　Gelert　by　way　of　Caernarvon。

It　was　Sunday；　and　I　had　originally　intended　to　pass　the　day　at　
Bangor；　and　to　attend　divine　service　twice　at　the　Cathedral；　but　I　
found　myself　so　very　uncomfortable；　owing　to　the　crowd　of　
interlopers；　that　I　determined　to　proceed　on　my　journey　without　
delay；　making　up　my　mind；　however；　to　enter　the　first　church　I　
should　meet　in　which　service　was　being　performed；　for　it　is　really　
not　good　to　travel　on　the　Sunday　without　going　into　a　place　of　
worship。

The　day　was　sunny　and　fiercely　hot；　as　all　the　days　had　lately　
been。　　In　about　an　hour　I　arrived　at　Port　Dyn　Norwig：　　it　stood　on　
the　right　side　of　the　road。　　The　name　of　this　place；　which　I　had　
heard　from　the　coachman　who　drove　my　family　and　me　to　Caernarvon　
and　Llanberis　a　few　days　before；　had　excited　my　curiosity　with　
respect　to　it；　as　it　signifies　the　Port　of　the　Norway　man；　so　I　now　
turned　aside　to　examine　it。　　〃No　doubt；〃　said　I　to　myself；　〃the　
place　derives　its　name　from　the　piratical　Danes　and　Norse　having　
resorted　to　it　in　the　old　time。〃　　Port　Dyn　Norwig　seems　to　consist　
of　a　creek；　a　staithe；　and　about　a　hundred　houses：　　a　few　small　
vessels　were　lying　at　the　staithe。　　I　stood　about　ten　minutes　upon　
it　staring　about；　and　then　feeling　rather　oppressed　by　the　heat　of　
the　sun；　I　bent　my　way　to　a　small　house　which　bore　a　sign；　and　from　
which　a　loud　noise　of　voices　proceeded。　　〃Have　you　good　ale？〃　said　
I　in　English　to　a　good…looking　buxom　dame　of　about　forty；　whom　I　
saw　in　the　passage。

She　looked　at　me　but　returned　no　answer。

〃Oes　genoch　cwrw　da？〃　said　I。

〃Oes！〃　she　replied　with　a　smile；　and　opening　the　door　of　a　room　on　
the　left…hand　bade　me　walk　in。

I　entered　the　room；　six　or　seven　men；　seemingly　sea…faring　people；　
were　seated　drinking　and　talking　vociferously　in　Welsh。　　Their　
conversation　was　about　the　sea…serpent：　　some　believed　in　the　
existence　of　such　a　thing；　others　did　not。　　After　a　little　time　one　
said；　〃Let　us　ask　this　gentleman　for　his　opinion。〃

〃And　what　would　be　the　use　of　asking　him？〃　said　another；　〃we　have　
only　Cumraeg；　and　he　has　only　Saesneg。〃

〃I　have　a　little　broken　Cumraeg；　at　the　service　of　this　good　
company；〃　said　I。　　〃With　respect　to　the　snake　of　the　sea　I　beg　
leave　to　say　that　I　believe　in　the　existence　of　such　a　creature；　
and　am　surprised　that　any　people　in　these　parts　should　not　believe　
in　it：　　why；　the　sea…serpent　has　been　seen　in　these　parts。〃

〃When　was　that；　Gwr　Boneddig？〃　said　one　of　the　company。

〃About　fifty　years　ago；〃　said　I。　　〃Once　in　October；　in　the　year　
1805；　as　a　small　vessel　of　the　Traeth　was　upon　the　Menai；　sailing　
very　slowly；　the　weather　being　very　calm；　the　people　on　board　saw　a　
strange　creature　like　an　immense　worm　swimming　after　them。　　It　soon　
overtook　them；　climbed　on　board　through　the　tiller…hole；　and　coiled　
itself　on　the　deck　under　the　mast　…　the　people　at　first　were　
dreadfully　frightened；　but　taking　courage　they　attacked　it　with　an　
oar　and　drove　it　overboard；　it　followed　the　vessel　for　some　time；　
but　a　breeze　springing　up　they　lost　sight　of　it。〃

〃And　how　did　you　learn　this？〃　said　the　last　who　had　addressed　me。

〃I　read　the　story；〃　said　I；　〃in　a　pure　Welsh　book　called　the　
Greal。〃

〃I　now　remember　hearing　the　same　thing；〃　said　an　old　man；　〃when　I　
was　a　boy；　it　had　slipt　out　of　my　memory；　but　now　I　remember　all　
about　it。　　The　ship　was　called　the　ROBERT　ELLIS。　　Are　you　of　these　
parts；　gentleman？〃

〃No；〃　said　I；　〃I　am　not　of　these　parts。〃

〃Then　you　are　of　South　Wales　…　indeed　your　Welsh　is　very　different　
from　ours。〃

〃I　am　not　of　South　Wales；〃　said　I；　〃I　am　the　seed　not　of　the　sea…
snake　but　of　the　coiling　serpent；　for　so　one　of　the　old　Welsh　poets　
called　the　Saxons。〃

〃But　how　did　you　learn　Welsh？〃　said　the　old　man。

〃I　learned　it　by　the　grammar；〃　said　I；　〃a　long　time　ago。〃

〃Ah；　you　learnt　it　by　the　grammar；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃that　
accounts　for　your　Welsh　being　different　from　ours。　　We　did　not　
learn　our　Welsh　by　the　grammar　…　your　Welsh　is　different　from　ours；　
and　of　course　better；　being　the　Welsh　of　the　grammar。　　Ah；　it　is　a　
fine　thing　to　be　a　grammarian。〃

〃Yes；　it　is　a　fine　thing　to　be　a　grammarian；〃　cried　the　rest　of　the　
company；　and　I　observed　that　everybody　now　regarded　me　with　a　kind　
of　respect。

A　jug　of　ale　which　the　hostess　had　brought　me　had　been　standing　
before　me　some　time。　　I　now　tasted　it　and　found　it　very　good。　　
Whilst　despatching　it；　I　asked　various　questions　about　the　old　
Danes；　the　reason　why　the　place　was　called　the　port　of　the　
Norwegian；　and　about　its　trade。　　The　good　folks　knew　nothing　about　
the　old　Danes；　and　as　little　as　to　the　reason　of　its　being　called　
the　port　of　the　Norwegian　…　but　they　said　that　besides　that　name　it　
bore　that　of　Melin　Heli；　or　the　mill　of　the　salt　pool；　and　that　
slates　were　exported　from　thence；　which　came　from　quarries　close　
by。

Having　finished　my　ale；　I　bade　the　company　adieu　and　quitted　Port　
Dyn　Norwig；　one　of　the　most　thoroughly　Welsh　places　I　had　seen；　for　
during　the　whole　time　I　was　in　it；　I　heard　no　words　of　English　
uttered；　except　the　two　or　three　spoken　by　myself。　　In　about　an　
hour　I　reached　Caernarvon。

The　road　from　Bangor　to　Caernarvon　is　very　good　and　the　scenery　
interesting　…　fine　hills　border　it　on　the　left；　or　south…east；　and　
on　the　right　at　some　distance　is　the　Menai　with　Anglesey　beyond　it。　　
Not　far　from　Caernarvon　a　sandbank　commences；　extending　for　miles　
up　the　Menai；　towards　Bangor；　and　dividing　the　strait　into　two。

I　went　to　the　Castle　Inn　which　fronts　the　square　or　market…place；　
and　being　shown　into　a　room　ordered　some　brandy…and…water；　and　sat　
down。　　Two　young　men　were　seated　in　the　room。　　I　spoke　to　them　and　
received　civil　answers；　at　which　I　was　rather　astonished；　as　I　
found　by　the　tone　of　their　voices　that　they　were　English。　　The　air　
of　one　was　far　superior　to　that　of　the　other；　and　with　him　I　was　
soon　in　conversation。　　In　the　course　of　discourse　he　informed　me　
that　being　a　martyr　to　ill…health　he　had　come　from　London　to　Wales；　
hoping　that　change　of　air；　and　exercise　on　the　Welsh　hills；　would　
afford　him　relief；　and　that　his　friend　had　been　kind　enough　to　
accompany　him。　　That　he　had　been　about　three　weeks　in　Wales；　had　
taken　all　the　exercise　that　he　could；　but　that　he　was　still　very　
unwell；　slept　little　and　had　no　appetite。　　I　told　him　not　to　be　
discouraged；　but　to　proceed　in　the　course　which　he　had　adopted　till　
the　end　of　summer；　by　which　time　I　thought　it　very　probable　that　he　
would　be　restored　to　his　health；　as　he　was　still　young。　　At　these　
words　of　mine　a　beam　of　hope　brightened　his　countenance；　and　he　
said　that　he　had　no　other　wish　than　to　regain　his　health；　and　that　
if　he　did　he　should　be　the　happiest　of　men。　　The　intense　wish　of　
the　poor　young　man　for　health　caused　me　to　think　how　insensible　I　
had　hitherto　been　to　the　possession　of　the　greatest　of　all　
terrestrial　blessings。　　I　had　always　had　the　health　of　an　elephant；　
but　I　never　remembered　to　have　been　sensible　to　the　magnitude　of　
the　blessing　or　in　the　slightest　degree　grateful　to　God　who　gave　
it。　　I　shuddered　to　think　how　I　should　feel　if　suddenly　deprived　of　
my　health。　　Far　worse；　no　doubt；　than　that　poor　invalid。　　He　was　
young；　and　in　youth　there　is　hope　…　but　I　was　no　longer　young。　　At　
last；　however；　I　thought　that　if　God　took　away　my　health　He　might　
so　far　alter　my　mind　that　I　might　be　happy　even　without　health；　or　
the　prospect　of　it；　and　that　reflection　made　me　quite　comfortable。



CHAPTER　XLIV



National　School　…　The　Young　Preacher　…　Pont　Bettws　…　Spanish　Words　
…　Two　Tongues；　Two　Faces　…　The　Elephant's　Snout　…　Llyn　Cwellyn　…　
The　Snowdon　Ranger　…　My　House　…　Castell　y　Cidwm　…　Descent　to　Beth　
Gelert。


IT　might　be　about　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　when　I　left　
Caernarvon　for　Beth　Gelert；　distant　about　thirteen　miles。　　I　
journeyed　through　a　beautiful　country　of　hill　and　dale；　woods　and　
meadows；　the　whole　gilded　by　abundance　of　sunshine。　　After　walking　
about　an　hour　without　intermission　I　reached　a　village；　and　asked　a　
man　the　name　of　it。

〃Llan　…　something；〃　he　replied。

As　he　was　standing　before　a　long　building；　through　the　open　door　of　
which　a　sound　proceeded　like　that　of　preaching；　I　asked　him　what　
place　it　was；　and　what　was　going　on　in　it；　and　received　for　answer　
that　it　was　the　National　School；　and　that　there　was　a　clergyman　
preaching　in　it。　　I　then　asked　if　the　clergyman　was　of　the　Church；　
and　on　learning　that　he　was；　I　forthwith　entered　the　building；　
where　in　one　end　of　a　long　room　I　saw　a　young　man　in　a　white　
surplice　preaching　from　a　desk　to　about　thirty　or　forty　people；　who　
were　seated　on　benches　before　him。　　I　sat　down　and　listened。　　The　
young　man　preached　with　great　zeal　and　fluency。　　The　sermon　was　a　
very　seasonable　one；　being　about　the　harvest；　and　in　it　things　
temporal　and　spiritual　were　very